Macworld.ars: 17″ MacBook Pro battery replacement info

The new 17-inch MacBook Pro joins its lighter, Air-ier cousin with a built-in …

This "non-removable battery" thing is clearly becoming a trend with Apple's hardware, and the new 17-inch MacBook Pro's bandwaggon-hopping unibody is the company's latest victim. Potential customers may be concerned over getting stranded once the internal battery starts puttering out, but like with the MacBook Air before it, Apple has a plan. Sorta.

First, 17-inch MacBook Pro buyers should know what they're up against. Apple says that the built-in battery should last for five years, a claim that is based on a lifespan of 1,000 total charging cycles and an average of 200 cycles per year. As with marriage and tax evasion, your mileage may vary.

Should your 17-inch unibody MacBook Pro's battery ever begin to feel "not so fresh," Apple has confirmed that it will offer an in-store battery replacement program that costs $179 (the MacBook Air's program, by comparison, is $129). As far as a turnaround time on the labor, though, representatives who Ars spoke with on the Macworld Expo floor went with an "anywhere between one or two hours, up to a week." The store's load during any particular week is the determining factor here, though representatives noted that a ProCare account could help expedite the process.